Black Comedy - Series 3 (ATOM Study Guide)

It's black comedy by blackfellas, for everyone.

Synopsis
Black Comedy (2018) is a sketch comedy series developed for the ABC, written by and starring some of the funniest Indigenous performers in the country. Ably supported by an array of talented Indigenous and non-Indigenous performers, the core team uses comedy to explore what it means to be Indigenous in contemporary Australia.

The third series of Black Comedy continues an acerbic, witty and altogether unapologetic comedic exploration of what it means to be black in contemporary Australia.

In this season, Black Comedy veterans Aaron Fa'Aoso and Nakkiah Lui are joined by new writer/performers David Woodhead, a twenty-year-old stand-up comedian from Darwin, Nayuka Gorrie, a social commentator, and Gabriel Willie, aka Bush Tucker Bunjie. Rounding out the core performing team are actors Wayne Blair and Rarriwuy Hick, recent NIDA graduate Dalara Williams and eighteen-year-old newcomer Maci-Grace Johnson.

The core cast is supported by a line-up of guest appearances including Elizabeth Wymarra, Leah Purcell, Adam Briggs, Matt Day, James Fraser, Jack Charles, Elaine Crombie, Lisa Hensley and Meyne Wyatt, Mia Wasikowska, Adam Goodes, Christine Anu, Jay Laga'aia, Daniel Amalm, Zoë Coombs Marr, Casey Donovan, Ian Roberts and Simon Hall.

Each episode of Black Comedy has a running time of approximately twenty-eight minutes.

Black Comedy Series 3 is rated M. Some sketches, due to the inclusion of adult themes and strong language, are not suitable for learning activities. While these sketches are mentioned in the episode synopses, curriculum has not been developed to support these sketches. Teachers are advised to preview episodes prior to classroom screenings to determine the age-appropriate nature of episodes and sketches.

Curriculum Links:

The Australian Curriculum acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures as a cross-curriculum priority in all learning areas. Black Comedy provides a resource for students to learn about:

• The lives of Indigenous Australians
• Contemporary Indigenous Australian society
• Relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians

The series engages students in discussions about Indigenous Australian identity and allows students to examine the key concepts of 'country’ or place, culture and people and to engage in discussions about reconciliation, respect and recognition of the world’s oldest continuous living cultures. Through viewing the series students will consider the historic and contemporary impacts of colonisation and will be able to understand that contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are strong, resilient, rich and diverse.

In addition, Black Comedy provides an opportunity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to see themselves, their identities and their cultures portrayed on screen in a television series made for a mainstream Australian audience.

In Year 10, Black Comedy can be used as a resource in Civics and Citizenship, Drama, English, History and Media.

For students in Years 11 and 12, Black Comedy has relevance to units of work in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, Australian History, Drama, English and Media. 

In completing the tasks, students will have demonstrated the ability to:

• analyse the construction of Black Comedy and comment on the ways it represents an interpretation of ideas and experiences;
• respond to Black Comedy both personally and in detached and critical ways;
• discuss the historical, social, cultural and political values embodied in Black Comedy;
• draw on appropriate metalanguage to discuss the structures and features of Black Comedy;
• use their own written and spoken texts to explore concepts and ideas and to clarify their own and others' understanding.

Each episode of Black Comedy has a running time of approximately twenty-eight minutes. Black Comedy Series 3 is rated M. Some sketches, due to the inclusion of adult themes and strong language, are not suitable for learning activities. While these sketches are mentioned in the episode synopses, curriculum has not been developed to support these sketches. Teachers are advised to preview episodes prior to classroom screenings to determine the age-appropriate nature of episodes and sketches.